This book was funny, mysterious, and romantic. It was a true who-done-it, with romance and found family, all set in a picturesque remote location.

I enjoyed getting to experience and learn with the protagonist as she has bizarre experience after another while at the same time bonding with the family of owners of the resort and spa she is staying at.

The chemistry between her and Dean was believable and swoony, and her connection with the family was something all of us can only dream of.

There were some parts of the murder mystery that I feel like could have been developed more, but overall it was a fun read!

I would recommend to anyone who worked in hospitality who loves mysteries, romance, and found family.

📖arc review: a proposal to die for by molly harper
⭐️rating: 4/5
🌿genre: mystery / romance

💌my thoughts: thank you so much to berkley & molly harper for this ARC via netgalley!

so this one was a bit slow in the beginning but once i got about 25% in i was so engaged! i found that this one was a great mix of mystery, suspense, and romance. i also thought the mystery itself was super interesting & kept me on my toes (i didn’t guess what was going on!)

i did wish that we got more conversations from jess & dean because i feel like it would’ve added even more depth to their relationship. i did love their banter though!!

i also really enjoyed all of our side characters and the bits and pieces that we saw of them. each and every character in this book felt complex and i really feel like it made the story seem so much more real.

also being from the south i am no stranger to classic southern passive aggressiveness & the ins and out of southern culture so i really enjoyed the bits and pieces of it that were sprinkled throughout.

overall, a proposal to die for is a fun read that will keep you on your toes, while also providing that romance kick you may be looking for. highly recommend checking it out since it is out now!!

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This was so cute! Every character was so perfectly and fully described that I could get a clear visual and sense of them in the scenes. It even wrapped up without any loose ends – a huge feat – and managed to still find ways to give me the warm fuzzies even in a murder mystery story!

Jessamine Bricker left her job with a wedding planner to open up her own shop. Now she is Nashville’s premier proposal planner. If you want help planning and executing the perfect wedding proposal, Jess is the person to call. She helps create the ultimate experience, down to the lighting, the music, the setting, and even providing a photographer to take the perfect photos without drawing attention away from the moment.

So when her old classmate Diana tracks her down to beg for help, Jess takes pity on her. Diana’s boyfriend Trenton spontaneously pulled out a ring and asked her to marry him, she immediately shut him down. Trenton Tillard the Fourth is part of the Tillard Pecan fortune, and Diana knows that her proposal has to be perfect. And Jess is the person to make that happen. Diana has aspirations to be an influencer and eventually create luxury brands. So her social media has to be curated carefully, including a picture perfect proposal, especially since Trenton’s parents are not thrilled with the match.

Diana decides that they need to head to an opulent spa for a week of planning, so Jess joins Diana, her wedding planner Aubrey, and Diana’s cousin Kiki at the Golden Ash Spa and Wellness Resort. Located in Chickenhawk Valley in Tennessee, it’s a luxe resort offering a wide variety of spa services in a peaceful part of the Tennessee mountains. The spa is run by the Osbourne family, with Poppy coming to meet the limo as the women pull up and welcoming them.

They get settled into their rooms, but Jess knows that she’s not just there to relax and support Diana. She has to plan a whole new proposal for Trenton, and it has to be perfect. She has an assistant back in her office in Nashville to help her, but Jess will have to do the bulk of the planning at the spa, and without access to her phone. There is no service there, so she’s going to be borrowing some of Poppy’s office space and her telephone when she needs it.

But when Jess stumbles on a dead body in the meditation pool, she struggles to focus on the proposal. But it’s important that she does, because she’s about to be evicted, and the exorbitant amount Trenton is willing to pay her for this perfect proposal means that she can put a down payment on the building and control her own destiny. But when she finds a second body at the spa, and Trenton inadvertently ruins all her plans for his perfect proposal, Jess will have to dog deep to keep her clients happy and maybe solve a murder or two on the side.

A Proposal to Die For is a new mystery from Molly Harper, and it brings the humor and snark to the wedding party. This story is filled with layers of deception along with the texture of class struggles. The plotting is intricate and compelling, but it’s the characters who bring this story to life. Jess is hopeful and relatable and very entertaining to spend time with. The characters around her are vibrant and balance the story, so it never gets too heavy and never gets too flippant, despite characters with some healthy snark. I so enjoyed this story, wanting to spend as much time as I could in this universe, hanging out with Jess and those she drew into her world.

Egalleys for A Proposal to Die For were provided by Berkley through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.

A Proposal to Die For by Molly Harper has a better ending than beginning. I began reading A Proposal to Die For and I felt like I had been plopped down into the middle of the book. I struggled to get into the story (I kept trying). I wish the author had taken the time to develop the main character. Jess could have benefited from a stronger personality. She lets people walk all over her. We are introduced to one character after another at the spa and it is impossible to keep track of them. They all have flower sounding names. There are some unlikeable narcissists who I kept hoping would be the next on the killer’s hit list. The mystery is a cinch to solve. I knew the identity of the killer before the first murder took place (there was an obvious clue). There is a lengthy reveal at the end. I appreciated the epilogue which nicely wrapped up the book. I did not appreciate all the foul language (it is not needed) and repetitive details. The story dragged through the middle (snails move faster). I have enjoyed Molly Harper’s paranormal novels (read them all), but A Proposal to Die For felt like it was written by someone else. A Proposal to Die For has a pretty cover and a good premise, but, unfortunately, this story was not for me.

3.5⭐️ This was a light and fun murder mystery.

I’d say this book was more cozy/humor vibes than scary or tense for a mystery. The pacing was a little slow in the first 1/3, but picks up once the murder story starts. I do wish there was maybe more in the beginning to help hook me to the story more, but I did get sucked into the drama.

This was a rich people (or trying to be rich people?) behaving badly story mixed with some mean girlness, which isn’t usually my favorite vibe, but worked in places here. If you love to hate a character then this will work well for you! Jess was a likable character, and kept her cool a lot better than I would have in some of these situations, and I enjoyed her humor. I wished there was a bit more to the romance between her and Dean; given the synopsis, I thought it was going to play a bigger part in the book. I didn’t really see the twists at the end coming, and I thought the reveals were done well.

This book ended up being ok for me, but I can see other people really enjoying it!

Jess is a proposal planner. It’s all going well until a former classmate shows up and wants her to plan a re-proposal. She gets roped into helping plan the wedding and it goes downhill from there. Stranded at a spa retreat with the bride. And of course a dead body. I did find the book a little hard to get into at first. But finally it all clicked. A fun cast of characters that I would enjoy seeing again.

*ARC Provided ny NetGalley for an honest review.

An engagement proposal coordinator gets swept up dealing with the whims of a wealthy bride-to-be, which leads her to spending time at an isolated spa resort in the woods. The prologue starts with finding a body, and the mystery of the identities for both the victim and the killer creates some decent tension. The found family romance aspect felt a little quick and insta-love, but it worked. Overall, a fun and funny read.

✨Book Review✨

This was such a fun read! While yes this is a ☠️ mystery the dialogue in this had me laughing out loud. I flew through this book!

Jess is a proposal planner and loves a good plan or two! With costs rising Jess is looking for that big job! *Enters Chat* Diana her snobby classmate from high school who needs Jess to plan her reproposal from her boyfriend. They embark on a pre-bridal remote retreat where everything goes wrong.

Such a witty and fast paced story that also includes a sprinkle of romance 👀 Absolutely enjoyed!

Thank you @berkleypub for the gifted ebook.

This was my first book by this author, and it was such a clever, unique book! There is a small romance plot, but I would say it focuses mostly on the mystery. There is a pretty large cast of characters, and they were all very interesting (and lots of them were suspicious!). The main character, Jess, was so relatable and real. She had to deal with a lot of toxicity, and she handled it like a professional!

The book took a while to build up to the mystery, but once it did, I was hooked! The remote spa with no cell service was the perfect setting. It starts out feeling peaceful and serene, but when Jess finds a dead body, the spa immediately feels creepy and dangerous. The mystery kept me guessing all the way to the end, and it was so entertaining. I definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for an engaging cozy mystery with a bit of romance!

Thank you to Molly Harper, Berkley, and NetGalley for this e-ARC; opinions are my own.

I really like this author's writing style, her characters, and her quirky humor and this had all of those in spades. Jess has an interesting business setting up the perfect proposals and gets pulled into the pre-wedding drama of a high school mean girl. I liked Jess, Kiki, and the Osbourne family and I enjoyed strongly disliking Diana and Aubrey.

There's a lot of setup for this book and it made for a bit of a slow start. Once the first body falls and Jess engages more with the Osbourne family I did feel that the pace picked up and it helped Diana become more amusing. She's really dreadful so when it was a small group of characters she got to be a bit much.

I loved the setting and the complications a mountain top remote setting made for the characters and the investigation. Despite the slow start I overall enjoyed this mystery and will be reading more from this author.

A Proposal to Die For by Molly Harper is a fun, cozy mystery wrapped up in bridezilla drama, a little romance, and just enough murder to keep things interesting.
Jess Bricker, a wedding proposal planner, is hired by her old classmate Diana to “fix” her rich boyfriend Trent’s failed proposal. Jess isn’t exactly thrilled about helping someone she didn’t get along with in school, but with her office building on the line and a big paycheck on the table, she reluctantly agrees. Soon, she finds herself whisked away to the luxurious Golden Ash spa resort with the entire wedding party in tow.
While trying to upgrade Trent’s proposal to something more dazzling, Jess quickly realizes she fits in better with the spa’s charming Osborne family than the insulting, over-the-top bridal crew. And just when she thinks things can’t get weirder, a peaceful walk turns into a crime scene when she finds a dead body floating in the meditation pool. As if that’s not enough, a second body pops up in the sauna, and Jess starts wondering if this job contract is turning into a health hazard.
I really enjoyed this book! Even though I figured out whodunit about halfway through, it didn’t spoil the fun. Molly Harper’s signature humor, witty character banter, and cozy mystery vibes kept things light and entertaining throughout.
If you're a fan of humorous mysteries and quirky heroines caught in over-their-head situations, A Proposal to Die For might be your next delightful read.

A Proposal To Die For is a cozy mystery with just a smidgen of romance. Instead of a wedding planner, business owner Jessamine Bricker helps folks pull off memorable engagement proposals. While her business is thriving, there is a living situation crisis with her apartment, and agreeing to help her former classmate, Diana, get the proposal of her dreams may be the answer to her problems. Or may it just be the being of a whole new set of problems.

Initial thoughts: Going into the book, I thought it would be more romantic comedy, but it turns out it's pretty much straight-up, cozy mystery. While there is a hot guy, there isn't much sizzle. Also, the beginning of the book had me close to quitting the book. I'm glad I didn't, but just a few pages of scattered storylines had me worried I wasn't going to enjoy the book.

Overall thoughts: Nice blend of characters, some likable, others not so much. Looking at you, Diana. The protagonist, Jess, was believable and relatable. Her interactions with the luxury spa resort owners were the best. A fast-paced plot that keeps the reader engaged (no pun intended).

Recommend for: those that like a classic cozy mystery, clean to no romance. Someone who can tolerate an unlikable character, again looking at you, Diana.

I received an advanced copy to read and review honestly.

This murder-mystery kicks off with a bang in the prologue! I loved getting started with the excitement and then working back through the story and weaving through the mystery. The bride featured in the story was the actual worst, as she is meant to be, but Jess is a wonderful FMC and it was easy to care about her from the start and the MMC chef is a treat.

Harper's writing is wonderful and the story flows is a manner that is so easy to read. I've read many of her books, but hadn't read any of her mystery novels and I'm so glad I had the chance to review this one!

I did enjoy Molly Harper's witty writing style, and it was quickly paced. But there were some parts of this book that just downgraded it a little bit for me. It is a cozy mystery with a little romance, which I do enjoy, and I did enjoy this quite a bit. I just wish the toxic relationships exhibited by some of the characters were not there. That is really what did it for me.

I would 100% read more of her books though. I do enjoy her writing style.

I liked the premise of the book, the plot was there, but I feel it missed the target. The start was just super slow but the mystery aspect was just great.

WOW! I could not put this book down. Jess, the main character, is so freaking likeable and I desperately want to be her friend. The cozy murder mystery vibes were strong in this book and I was not able to solve a thing before the reveal. The mystery kept me on my toes, but not in a stressful way at all! Also, I was a big fan of the family dynamics and the ADORABLE romance.

The complicated relationships, drama, dead bodies, and the spa retreat locations just worked so well together. I will definitely be checking out more of Molly Harper’s books because this one was fantastic. I genuinely had so much fun reading it!

This ARC was provided by Berkley Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up

This book was trying to do too much and it just wasn't for me. It is humor, it is a thriller/mystery, and it's a romance and for me personally it just missed the mark with each of these categories. The mystery plotline, while intriguing, did have some things that didn't make sense. The romance was somewhat underdeveloped. The humor was kinda cringy at times in a way that felt very 'I'm not a regular mom, I'm a cool mom' and while I did laugh a few times, I definitely cringed more than I laughed.

This wasn't a bad book and I do feel like there are people out there that are going to love this one. For me personally I feel like I've read better. The characters were all very interesting and I did enjoy reading this, but it just wasn't my favorite. I did like the premise and I didn't see the twist at the end coming, but this feels like a book that I won't remember. There just wasn't anything special.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

At a remote Tennessee wellness spa where proposal planner Jessamyn Bricker is supposed to be helping a popular soon-to-be fiancee to a wealthy Pecan heir orchestrate her second proposal, things go horribly wrong when a dead body shows up. With no cell service and a host of suspects, this was more cozy mystery with a jab at the ridiculousness of influencers and rich people. The killer's method was clever and I liked all the irony in this story. It was a little light on romance for my personal tastes but good on audio. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Steam level: kissing only

‘it’s like a post-millennial Agatha Christie story.’

My first experience with Molly Harper’s work definitely won’t be my last. I loved the snark and sass she imbued her main character, Jess, with and I definitely want her to be my new best friend! The story as a whole was a delightful mystery with entertaining characters that I would love to meet up with again!